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Show 1880.] THE MAMMALS OF ASIA MINOR. 51 2. *fVESPERUGO KUHLI (Natt.). Specimens of Kuhl's Bat were taken at Marash from the woodwork of a house, and others were shot at Room Kaleh on the Euphrates. The species appeared to be common in both localities. 3. *CROCIDURA LEUCODON (Herm.). D. & A., no. 2. 4. ERINACEUS EUROP/EUS, Linn. D. & A., no. 3. As on his former visit, Danford failed to obtain specimens of the Asia-Minor Hedgehog in a fit state for preservation ; but he found one or two decomposing carcasses which were evidently referable to this species. [FELIS UNCIA, Schreb. D. & A., no. 4. W e introduced the Ounce into our first list on the authority of our friend Mr. D. G. Elliot, who informed us that the type of Valenciennes's Felis tulliana, now in the Paris Museum, was not separable from F. uncia, an opinion which had been already expressed by Blyth' and by Gray2. Mr. Elliot has since maintained this identification in his magnificent work on this family 3, whereas Prof. A. Milne-Edwards regards F. tulliana as a distinct species *. W e regret that we did not ourselves examine the specimen when we were last in Paris; but on finding that the Leopards obtained by Danford on his second expedition were undoubtedly referable to F. pardus, we have been led to a more careful comparison of M. Milne- Edwards's detailed description with M. de Tchihatcheff's plate*. This examination leaves no doubt on our minds that Valenciennes's specimen is perfectly distinct from F. uncia; and we believe that it is really nothing but an unusually pale and long haired variety of F. pardus, somewhat similar to the remarkable Persian Leopards now living in the Society's Gardens 8. W e therefore greatly regret that we should have been led to endorse the existence in Asia Minor of the true Ounce-an animal whose range is probably entirely confined to the most elevated regions of Central Asia7.] 5. *fFELis PARDUS, Linn. Kaplan. As already stated the only Leopards obtained by Danford belonged to this species; the specimens he preserved present considerable variety in coloration and in proportional length of tail, but not greater than has been observed in other localities. Though nowhere common, the Kaplan appears to be generally distributed throughout i P. Z. S. 1863, p. 183. 2 Op. cit. 1867, p. 262. 3 Monogr. Felidse, pt. 2. 4 Recherches Hist. Nat, M a m m . p. 214. 5 Asie Mineure, 2 m e partie, Zool. pl. i. 6 Cf. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 289. 7 Since the above went to press we have received a letter from M . Milne- Edwards, in which he says " Le Felis tulliana, par les proportions de ses membres, se rapproche beaucoup plus des Pantheres veritables que des Onoes; les taches de la robe sont plus grandes et plus annulaires, mais elles sont plus nombreuses que chez l'Once. Je suis persuade que le Felis tulliana est une espece, ou an moins une race fortement caracterisee, du Panthere." Impressed as we are with the great variability shown by many other of the Asia-Minor Mammals, we are still of the opinion expressed above. 4* |